EY appoints Laura Mair new managing partner for tax and law

05 December 2023 Consultancy.uk 2 min. read

Laura Mair has been promoted by EY to become its UK and Ireland managing partner for tax and law. She will lead a team of more than 2,000 professionals, providing advice to clients across the two countries.

Research from Ibis World predicted that tax consulting revenues are likely to contract over the five years leading to the end of 2024 – shrinking by 3.5% to £4.5 billion over that period. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, operating conditions had been generally favourable, as a falling unemployment rate and a rising number of businesses have increased the potential client base for tax consultancies. The adverse economic conditions that occurred since then changed this though, leaving demand spread thinner.

Looking ahead, however, the market may be about to change a corner. With a general election in 2024 looking likely to deliver a change of government, businesses will be looking for expertise to help deal with possible changes in tax law and compliancy. For the Big Four, which account for a collective 82% of the UK tax consulting market’s revenue, that could present a major opportunity.

Indeed, regardless of the wider market, tax was EY’s fastest growing business area over the last financial year, with UK revenue growth of 20%. The appointment of Laura Mair as EY’s new tax and law managingpartner for the UK and Ireland aims at capitalising on this momentum, and positioning the firm to help clients, whatever they face in the new year.

Taking over the role from Jeff Soar, who has been appointed as EY’s global head of law – under whom the UK tax and law practice has seen two years of double-digit revenue growth. Mair will now head a team of more than 2,500 tax and law professionals who provide advice and services to a wide range of clients, including domestic and multinational companies, public sector organisations, family businesses andindividuals.

Hywel Ball, EY’s UK chair, commented, “Laura has a reputation for inspiring our people internally andproviding an exceptional service to clients. With over two decades of leadership and client experience, Laura is the ideal person to continue the strong growth trajectory of the team. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jeff Soar for his superb leadership of the practice over the last three years andcongratulate him on his new role as EY’s global head of law.”

Mair has been with EY since joining as a tax graduate in 2000, and became a partner in 2015. She has subsequently held a number of senior positions at EY. Most recently, she was markets leader for EY UK andIreland’s tax and law wing where she was responsible for the practice’s client services and business development strategy.

Speaking on her new challenge, Mair added, “I’m incredibly proud to lead the practice I first joined as a graduate more than twenty years ago. This is a pivotal time for the tax and legal sectors, with many UK businesses contending with rapidly shifting regulatory landscape and the evolving role that technology plays in compliance and reporting. I am looking forward to working with our team to support clients as they continue to explore what the modern tax and legal departments should look like.”